It’s part of a larger pavement project on the 60 from Euclid Avenue in Ontario to the 60/91/215 interchange that is slated to begin in January, officials said.

The dates of the closures, how many weekends and other details such as whether both directions would be affected have not yet been determined, Caltrans spokeswoman Joy Schneider said.

The agency will do so after a contractor for the project has been hired, she said.

That route — one of the main entry points to Riverside and Moreno Valley— is among the busiest in the Inland area, used by commuters going west to Los Angeles.

Schneider said Caltrans will coordinate with the affected cities in advance of the shutdown and will mount a public relations effort through radio, social media and press releases to inform the public in advance as it has done with similar closures.

Riverside city spokesman Phil Pitchford said city officials were not aware of the upcoming closure and will want to discuss its impacts with the agency.

“Highway 60 is a major transportation artery into Riverside, so we would welcome an opportunity to talk with Caltrans about the project so we can ensure there is no impact on the Festival of Lights and that we minimize any impact on commuters and people living near that route,” he said.

The Festival of Lights, which will take place between Nov. 25 and Jan. 6, attracts many out-of-town visitors to downtown Riverside.

Caltrans officials say the project is needed to repair deteriorating pavement. In just the last month, crews have had to make emergency repairs to deal with potholes and chunks of concrete being dislodged at a few locations on the 60.

Kasinga said the damage is due to a combination of age, weather and the roadway getting “hammered” by heavy truck traffic.

The agency has gone in to do what she called “band-aid” repairs but a full repair where old concrete is removed and fresh pavement is installed is needed, she said. That new layer of concrete will add 40 years of life to the roadway, Kasinga said.

With the recent approval of SB 1, the state gas tax increase promoted by Gov. Jerry Brown, Caltrans will be addressing a backlog of pavement repair needs statewide, she said. The tax will provide $1.5 billion statewide for maintenance and rehabilitation projects, according to Caltrans.

Local Caltrans districts are preparing lists of projects for funding that will be available early next year, Kasinga said.

District 8, which covers San Bernardino and Riverside counties, already has some pavement projects underway.

Since last year, an $18.3 million pavement repair project has been ongoing on another section of the 60 between Moreno Valley and Beaumont. That project is expected to be completed in September.

In San Bernardino County, pavement work is continuing on Interstate 10 from the Los Angeles County line to Redlands.

Next week Caltrans will start work on a $10.1 million resurfacing of 27 miles on State Routes 40 and 95 south of Needles.

“We’re at a point where we’re losing the 40 and 95 slowly,” Kasinga said. “They haven’t been paved in years.”